SOME TV shows tug at the heart strings. If you're a doctor it's ER. If you're a cop it's The Wire, and if you're a journalist it's The Newsroom.

Watching these shows is like looking at your job through rose-coloured glasses, so it’s no wonder The Newsroom has become a favourite in the news.com.au office.

Season 2 of the hit show is about to get underway on Foxtel. If you missed season 1, there’s still time to grab it on DVD and catch up, and it’s well worth it.

The romanticised, behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like delivering a nightly news program in America today is some of creator Aaron Sorkin’s ( The West Wing, A Few Good Men) best work.

Anchorman Will McAvoy, played perfectly by Jeff Daniels, is not afraid to cover the tough stories and go after the big fish with the help of his idealistic executive producer and ex-girlfriend ‘Mac’ (Emily Mortimer).

Together they aim to “reclaim journalism as an honourable profession, produce a nightly newscast that informs a debate worthy of a great nation ... return to what's important; the death of bitchiness; the death of gossip and voyeurism.”

It’s inspiring stuff, but how realistic is it when compared to today’s modern newsroom?

"For the most part what you see is what you get,” says SKY NewsNight anchor Stan Grant who has been a journalist for over 20 years.

"The role of an anchorman now is so much more demanding than it ever has been. It’s not good enough to just be a talking head anymore, you have to chase stories and be adaptable at a moment’s notice. When I worked at CNN, it was a maddening process of meetings. Every story was put through the ringer just like it is on The Newsroom.”

NewsroomSource:Supplied

To do that news anchors need to be knowledgeable in the extreme, often reading for up to six hours a day.

"I get around five hours sleep a night,” admits Grant, who like McAvoy operates on very little rest. “Work never ends when you’re a journalist. There is so much thinking, reading and analysis which goes on behind the camera that no one ever sees. Over 95 per cent of the work is done behind the scenes.”

Grant admits he is a fan of the show and applauds Sorkin for his willingness to tackle important issues such as the oil spill in Mexico, Arab Spring and even the death of Osama bin Laden.

"At a time when news is criticised for being dumbed down and irrelevant, he has created an idealistic newsroom where people stand for integrity and justice,” says Grant.

Season 2 will be no different. Taking place over a five-day period leading up to Election Day 2012, it encompasses numerous flashbacks to earlier events from 2011 and 2012. One of the season’s major story arcs involves a wrongful-termination lawsuit made by a staff member alleged to have doctored a report about a suspicious U.S. drone strike.

NewsroomSource:Supplied

Of course there is a lot of extra office drama, politics and gossip that makes its way into The Newsroom because it is television, after all. The ongoing love triangle between Jim (John Gallagher Jr.), Maggie (Alison Pill), and Don (Thomas Sadoski) will play out this season much to the delight of fans and there are some hot, young, new faces as well.

So what does Grant think of the move towards “fluffy” journalism and lighter news programs?

For the most part he welcomes the challenge believing it’s another reason to get better.

"There is definitely more competition amongst journalists now,” he admits. “Australia is a smaller market so we’re all fighting over a smaller prize and ideals can get compromised in a competitive marketplace."

But Grant believes news will always triumph because it's about moments in history and great human achievement.

"And that’s got to make for interesting television?" asks Grant. "Well, more interesting than women talking about sex, cupcakes and shoes in New York.”

The Newsroom Season 2 starts Monday, July 15 at 8.30pm, express from the US and only on Foxtel. You can purchase Season 1 on DVD for $39.95 RRP or on Blu-ray™ for $49.95 RRP.